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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mate — a partner
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — letters
  14. mate — to breed
  15. spell — magic
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — in music
  18. court — of a king
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cue — a hint
  23. key — the most important part
  24. degree — an amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com